On Monday, Big Ten Network announced a new annual early-season eight-game tournament between the Big Ten and Big East conferences.
Named the Gavitt Tipoff Games in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dave Gavitt, founder of the Big East, the tournament will take place over the course of four days during the opening week of NCAA basketball.
The tournament will feature four home games for each conference and is scheduled to be held from 2015 through 2022.
“We are excited to honor Dave Gavitt and his contributions to the sport of basketball through the establishment of the Gavitt Tipoff Games,” Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said in a statement today. “Dave was a friend and a mentor to me and often mentioned that college basketball should do a better job of tipping off the season, similar to opening day in baseball. I think he would approve of our effort to start a new tipoff tradition, grow the game and serve the best interests of the student-athletes and coaches in these two great conferences.”
The tournament is just one of many changes scheduled for the Big Ten conference this year. On July 1st, Maryland and Rutgers will join the conference, and in April, the Big Ten announced it will open a second office in New York City.
Big Ten home matchups will air on ESPN or BTN, and Big East games will air on Fox Sports 1.
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